BACKGROUND Internal mammary artery conduits (IMA) have an excellent long-term patency rate. Nevertheless, graft closure does occur and significantly limits future revascularization options. We sought to investigate the relationship between the long-term patency of IMA with clinical and angiographic parameters. Particularly, the preoperative degree of stenosis of the relevant bypassed coronary v...

BACKGROUND & AIMS Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) are used in patients with malignant distal biliary obstruction; trials that compared covered and uncovered SEMS reported different results because of heterogeneous designs and patient populations. These studies compared patency of uncovered SEMS and covered SEMS, along with rates of pancreatitis, cholecystitis, cholangitis, SEMS migration, b...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to compare complication rate, primary patency, and cost of stent deployment with direct surgical reconstruction for the treatment of severe aortoiliac occlusive disease. METHODS From March 1, 1992, to May 31, 1996, 119 patients receiving treatment for aortoiliac occlusive disease were analyzed after exclusions. Sixty-five patients had stent deployment and ...

BACKGROUND With the rapid advance of catheter intervention, the direction taken by surgeons is not only to make conventional CABG less invasive but also to pursue better long-term results by using more arterial conduits. METHODS AND RESULTS Between July 1989 and April 2000, 239 patients (218 men, 21 women) with a mean age of 59.7 (range 39 to 79) years underwent CABG with exclusive use of bot...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study is to review our experience with using more than 2,000 RAs over the last seven years, and to assess the medium-term outcome in terms of morbidity and mortality. METHODS Between June 1994 and June 2001, a total of 2,024 RAs have been used in 1,613 patients. The mean duration of follow-up was 40.1 months and ranged from one to 88 months. We assessed the results ...

Dear Editor, Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is an established revascularisation treatment for patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the graft patency rate varies significantly among different bypass graft conduits. Ten years after CABG, more than 90% of the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) grafts are patent1 but the patency rate of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) ranges ...

OBJECTIVE To present our experience with laparoscopic tube-preserving surgery for ectopic tubal pregnancy and evaluate its feasibility and efficacy. METHODS This was a prospective study of 57 consecutive patients with ectopic tubal pregnancies undergoing laparoscopic tube-preserving procedures including salpingotomy, salpingostomy, segmental resection and reanastomosis, and fimbrial milking. ...

PURPOSE To study whether endarterectomy is feasible in all patients with aortofemoral atherosclerotic obstruction, considering early and late results. METHODS A clinical, prospective, and descriptive study carried out in a university hospital. Inclusion criteria were atherosclerotic aortofemoral obstructive disease, clinical status compatible with major surgery, and absence of prior restorati...

INTRODUCTION Revascularisation of aortoiliac occlusive disease has been evolving in the past 2 decades. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the long-term outcomes of aortofemoral bypass for aortoiliac occlusive disease at a tertiary vascular disease centre in Hong Kong. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis of 94 patients (176 limbs) who survived aortofemoral bypass was perf...

BACKGROUND Peripheral arterial disease is a source of morbidity and mortality. Surgical vascular reconstruction is a treatment option but probability of failure and complications are important concerns. In this study, we evaluated outcome of surgical infrainguinal reconstruction and factors affecting graft patency for a period of one year. METHODS In this cohort study, 85 consecutive patients...